The Price of Information
by LC8422
Summary: Michael is faced with the hardest choice he's ever had to make, this time it literally is Fiona or the burn notice. Finish.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own Burn Notice, making no money.

Note: I started writing this before the finale had taken place so technically it is now an AU storyline.

And this is all from Michael's POV.

CH. 1

_Information costs a lot. Guns, land, drugs, you'll all pay a lot for, but information, that usually costs the most. That's why spies exist, to pay the price no one else wants to pay. But at some point, every spy is faced with the question... what price is too high? _

The information that Sam, Fi, and I had collected over the last few months was starting to add up. And add with it what Sam had just gotten me, it was enough to clear my name. I was going to be off the black list, and Carla and would be a thing of the past.

"Sam, I need you to run out and get a few supplies. I need to get a hold of Fi so we can get out to the docks."

"Sounds good Mikey. I'm on it" Sam says as he walks out the door.

Now to tell Fi, I wasn't sure how she was going to take it. Trust me I know part of her wishes my burn notice never gets lifted. But this is who I am. I don't know how to be anything else. I pick up my phone and hit 1 on my speed dial. The phone rings

and rings

and rings

No answer. Not like Fi at all. I try again, still nothing. Something is not right. I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach, like right before a bomb goes off and you don't know what wire to cut. Without another thought I run out the door and jump in the Charger, something is telling me I have to get to Fi's place, and I have to get there now.

Fi's door is unlocked when I get there. Not enough to bother a normal person but enough for me to know that something is wrong right away. She never leaves her door unlocked. The living room looks like something out of a war zone, I notice there aren't too many survivors in Fi's snow globe collection.

I hear a sound, a moan, not Fiona's, a man's instead. It's coming from the bathroom. I open the door cautiously. If someone did try to hurt Fi I am sure she did her best to take a few of them down, but when I enter the room, gun drawn, I am surprised to see Campbell. Bloody and bruised but alive and awake.

"Campbell what happened? Where's Fiona? "

"I don't know. What the hell kind of soil scientist are you guys? What's going on?" he keeps rambling, none of this is helping me find Fiona.

"Campbell, calm down, tell me what happened?"

"Calm down, are you nuts, guys burst in with guns, Fiona pulls a gun and starts shooting, I tried to get out of here and one of them starts kicking the crap out of me. You all are crazy. I am getting as far away from this place as possible."

I was getting frustrated, I needed to know what happened to Fi. I pick Campbell up by the collar of his shirt and pin him against the wall. Its the only way I can get him to stop rambling and tell me what I need.

"Did they say anything? Did you see a car, anything?"

"I blacked out before they took her, I woke up when I heard you."

I let go of his shirt. He turns and starts to head out the bathroom door.

"Look I hope you find her and all, but when you do, tell her its over, I can't do this"

And he runs out the door. Fiona needs help and this sniveling little weasel turns his back on her.

I go back out into the living room trying to piece together what happened, when my cell phone rings.

"Hello Michael" Carla...

"Where is she?"

"Oh she's alive for now. I have to tell you Michael she is a feisty one. She made it a lot harder then it had to be. But something tells me you like a little fight in your ladies. Hate to take that out of her."

I can feel my father's temper creeping up on me. All my years of training and being under fire, all out the window.

"If she has so much as a scratch on her, you are dead, all of you."

"Now Michael, that's all on you. You have could kept your nose clean, done what we said and none of this would have happened. But you had to go sniffing around, gathering information you didn't need. And now here we are. So if anyone is to be blamed for what becomes of Fiona, its you Michael." I hate the sly way she turns this on me.

"What do you want?" I am almost afraid to ask.

"The information Michael, all of it. The X-ray, the files, the extra key card, the pictures all of it. And don't you dare try and copy any of it. We'll know. You give me all that, and you can have her back."

My mind was running as fast as it could, was there a way I could keep both...maybe if I could figure out where they were, I could go in...

"Don't think too long Michael, the longer you wait, the less likely you precious Fiona gets out of here alive. I'll give you two hours to go back to your place and get all the information together. And make sure you get any copies Sam might have too." I hear the click of the cell phone. Damn.

I call Sam as I head out the door.

"Sam, get back to the loft. We have a problem."

"What's wrong Mike?"

"Carla just gave me an ultimatum... Fiona or the burn notice."


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks everyone for the reviews! So I know the season (or winter) finale didn't go how I would have liked it, but I figured since we have so long until the new episodes it can't hurt to continue on. But I guess this would technically be considered AU now that we know how the finale went.

Disclaimer: Don't own Burn Notice, making no money.

Ch 2

_There's a reason spies don't get close to people. Its not because they're heartless, or they don't care, or have some superhuman ability to go without human contact. It's because people can be used against you, the more you care about something or someone, the more leverage the other person has._

"Carla must have had a small army to take Fiona down."

Sam is sitting at the counter top in the loft, looking at all the information we had gathered over the last few months since my first run in with Carla. Seeing it all in front of me, it didn't look like much, but it was all the history of these people that I had, and it had taken a long time to get. In the last hour Sam and I sat looking at the folders, trying to figure out how to keep both everything in front of me and Fiona.

"I don't know Sam, but it looked like a war zone. Something tells me Carla isn't pulling any punches, she means it this time. I pushed a button, I am getting too close. If I give her what I have, she'll never let me get this close again."

"Mike you can't seriously be thinking about..."

I surprise myself with how quick my reaction comes "No!" I take a deep breath, I'm more rattled then even I thought. And I am mildly surprised to find Sam staring dead at me. To most people who meet him, Sam Axe is a mild bum who will talk to you about anything from the Braves game to the political situations of the middle east with a smile on his face. He's nice, approachable and funny. But deep down, Sam is still a SEAL. He has this dead pan stare that he breaks out only in the most serious of situations, one that says 'calm the hell down solider'. Its a look I haven't found myself on the receiving end of until now, though I have seen him use it on others. And in that moment, I am grateful for Sam's friendship.

"Mike, are you sure you can handle this on your own? I mean I know you want someone to watch your mom and brother, but I've never seen you like this."

"I appreciate Sam, really I do, but I need you there with Mom and Nate. If I can figure out a way to save Fiona I'm sure they are going to go looking for more leverage. I'm sure Mom will cook you dinner."

"No offense Mike but there is no way I can even think about food right now."

I had to smile at that. I am not sure exactly when Sam and Fiona actually became friends but I know Sam is worried about her too. I guess forcing those two on all those stakeouts in the car together forced them to get along.

"I'm going to get her back Sam."

"I don't doubt it Mike, I just feel slightly bad for Carla when you let Fi loose."

"I don't."

I hear my cell phone ring.

"Carla"

"Michael, I trust you have what I asked for?"

"Yes, now where is she?" I

"Anxious are we? What's wrong Michael, don't know how to function without your tactical support? Or are you trying to find some weapons?" In all the time I had known Carla, she had never been dumb enough to threaten Fiona. Bly had and that had been his major down fall, no sooner did her put her life in danger then I was thinking of a way to bring him down. But for some reason, Carla had always known to stay away from Fi. But she didn't want me to think that she didn't know everything there was to know about her. "Something tells me that what you miss is little more, shall we say, intimate?"

"Enough Carla!" I knew in an instant it was a mistake. The snap, the tone of my voice, all telling her exactly what she wanted to know. It was all a test to see how far I would go, exactly how much I cared about the person she held hostage.

"Temper, temper Michael. Did I hit a nerve?"

"I have your information, now what do you want me to do with it?"

"Get in your car, start driving south, I'll call you in twenty minutes."

And then she was gone. I start to gather everything up. "Sam get to my Mom's place, call Nate on the way."

"Mike, come on, you can't.."

"I have to do this Sam, alone. Please." I add the please only because I can see him still wanting to protest.

"Fine, but be careful!" I had to smile, that was Fiona's line. "What someone had to say it!"


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks everyone for the continued reviews and support. I appreciate it. I'm thinking one or two more chapters, not sure yet, we will see how it goes.

Ch 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Burn Notice (though I wish)

_Spies are taught to always have a plan, but make it flexible. Going in and shooting up the place usually doesn't do anyone any good. You do and information gets comprimised, merchandise gets damaged, things get messy. You should never go into a situation without knowing at least the basics. Sometimes you don't have that luxury. Sometimes you have to go and just hope an opportunity presents itself._

About an hour later, after driving through half of Miami, I find myself in familiar territory. The warehouse where a few weeks ago I had blown up a truck and stolen back some pharmaceuticals from a present day pirate. Apparently, Miami's finest weren't worried about clean up after wards, the scorch marks and debris were still present, giving the place a feeling of a Middle East war zone, not a major metropolis.

I looked around but no sign of Carla or her men, or more importantly, Fiona. They must be in one to the storage buildings but no idea where to start. And before I can even begin searching, the phone rings again. This time, its not Carla on the other end.

"Get out of the car." Victor, great. Suddenly a rush of panic flows through me. If this wacko's involved, then Fi might really be in trouble. I open the door to the Charger and step out, one hand in the air the other holding the cell phone to show I wasn't coming out guns blazing. Though I wanted to, trust me. I look around, trying to figure out his location, how he can see me and from what angle.

I'm slightly surprised when he actually steps out from around the corner and hangs up the cell phone. He starts walking towards me, gun pointed straight at my head. He literally rams me into the car and turns, forces me to turn around.

"Just making sure you don't have any ideas about getting everything you want." He barks while doing a quick search for any guns or weapons I'm carrying. Carla had been pretty specific when she called me again a few minutes after I had gotten in the car; no weapons, though I did have one under the front seat of the Charger.

"Nice to see you and Carla still have a great working relationship." I mutter. I understand why these two get along, even if they seem opposite. Victor is that crazy persona that Carla doesn't unleash. She needs to be cool and collected, but when things need to get dirty she send in Victor.

"Oh you know me, always looking for a way to mix work and pleasure. And what's more fun then putting you in your place? Where's the stuff?"

"Where's Fiona?"

I turn around in time for his fist to connect square in my face. Yep broken nose and a hell of a lot of blood.

"I'll ask again where, is the information you took?"

I wasn't sure what Carla had planned, if she had gone to all this trouble to capture Fiona, I couldn't be sure she would just give her back willingly just because I gave her what she wanted. She could hold on to her and continue to use her as leverage. Although I am sure it was taking a toll on her forces in charge of keeping Fi in one place.

"Look Mike, you get the bitch back when the higher ups get what they want. Plain and simple. I'm here to get it. So give it to me, I can head back out to the bar and you can get your slut back. I think that works well for everyone."

Slut. Fiona has been called a lot of things, crazy, bitchy, lunatic, psycho, but never a slut. Before I even realize it, I haul off and punch him with everything I've got. A broken nose for a broken nose sounds fair. When I connected, the gun he was holding went flying out of this hand. I rush towards it only to be tackled again.

I didn't have a plan. Maybe capture him, use him as leverage against Carla. Then again I wasn't too sure how important he was to Carla. While he was a very good trained operative, he was replaceable. She could always get another good solider. Not like Fiona... not irreplaceable.

It continues for a few more minutes, each of us getting in our fair share of blows to the other, at the same time trying to stop each other from reaching the gun. When he knocks me into the open door of the Charger, I find my chance. I reach under the seat and pull out the gun I hid there. I push myself up gun hand and turn to face Victor.

Only to find that he had managed to reach his gun again and is pointing it right back at me.

"Boy, Carla was right. You are touchy about this chick. Hmmm, maybe I should see what all the fuss is about. Does she charge by the hour?"

It takes every fiber of my being not to pull the trigger. I need him alive, as blackmail, as leverage, just to tell me where Fiona is. Something, anything. I've never not had a plan, never not known what to do. I find myself in unfamiliar territory. This is why spies don't have close friends or family, why they keep everyone at arms length. They train you how to negotiate when the hostage is expendable, they train you how to alter your plans at a moments notice, how to adjust and recalculate. They don't teach you what to do when if the hostage dies, so do you.

If I lost Fi, I'd be done. If she died, any and every chance I would ever have to be happy would be gone. I'm a danger to her, always having to keep her at arms length, though god knows I wake up every morning with remnants of a dream of her. I'd rather see her alive and happy, even if it meant she had to be in someone else's arms to make it happen.

I continue to stare down Victor. "Look, Mike, neither of us is getting anywhere. Trust me the information that you have, its nothing compared to the things these people can do. You want her back?"

"Yes."

"OK, hold on, see this envelope over here." Victor points a manila envelope that must have fallen out of his pocket during the fight. "Directions are in their on where she is. But I am warning you, she's on a time constraint."

"Time constraint?"

"Not sure how much time someone has when they are buried alive." I can feel the bottom of my stomach give out. "You better decide quick what you want. That envelope has instructions on where to find her, or you can sit here with me for a few more hours and then spend the rest of the week planning her funeral. Either way works for me. Getting paid by the hour."

Fiona, with everything I am, I want Fiona. I want her safe, I want her back in more ways then one. I can't imagine her not walking through my door unannounced, eating the last of my yogurt, or convincing me to help some poor sucker who's lost everything. Without thinking I reach in my car and throw everything I have onto the ground. They can have it, all of it. I race over to the envelope. And tear it open. In side I find a picture of Fiona, bruised, beaten and seriously ticked off. On the back are a series of coordinates and a note:

Hurry Michael, I'm waiting.

Victor is still gathering everything up when I tear out of the warehouse lot and onto the road. I call Sam.

"Mike, everything OK?"

"No I need you to find these coordinates Sam, now !"

_I'm coming Fi, just please hold on_


	4. Chapter 4

All right, you can stop throwing rotten fruit... I finally finished it. No excuses just got a bad case of writers block, didn't like how it was going and so I stopped, waiting for the new season and new inspiration. Can't say I am thrilled with it, but if I held off any longer thought I might get in trouble :) Enjoy the last chapter.

Disclaimer: Don't own Burn Notice, wish I did then my money issues would be solved :)

Chp 4

"Sam are you sure this is it?" I say as I pull into a dark wooded area.

"That's the coordinates Mike, I swear I'm on my way. I'll be right behind you."

"I can't wait Sam, I am going to find her." I tell him as I get out of the Charger and slam the door behind me. I have to find Fiona, and I have to find her now. But where to start. I survey the area. Its dark and damp and not an all together pleasant place to be. Looking for overturned dirt, a shoe print, a drag mark anything to point me in the right direction. I walk a bit further into the woods and luck is with me. The ground is wet and there are impression left behind from another car.

I pick up the pace and I see it, a pile of overturned dirt. Fiona has to be below. Carla wasn't trying to hide her from me, she knew I would come, knew what I would choose. Damn her, how did she know even before I was sure. Sticking straight up out of the dirt, a shovel with a note taped to it.

_I knew you'd come Michael, let's just hope its not too late _

I grab the shovel and start to dig as fast as I can. Ten minutes into the process I find it, a box, almost a coffin but not quite. Something isn't right. There is no noise, no sound coming from the plywood structure, it wouldn't have been strong enough to keep Fiona from being crushed by the weight of the dirt. The wood had already cracked and splintered. I was too late.

Reaching down to remove the plywood lid of the box, I hold my breath. I've seen dead bodies before but to imagine it being Fiona, so full of life just a few short hours ago and now this. I tried to prepare myself for what I was about to uncover, fingers shaking as I removed the lid to find

Nothing. An empty box, no Fiona, no lifeless body, no blood, not even a note. I let out a breath I didn't even know I had been holding. She wasn't here, all the visions from just a few moments ago vanish. But the relief is short lived. If she's not here, she's somewhere else, some where that he didn't know about and he wasn't sure where to even begin looking.

"Mike"

Sam comes running up behind me.

"Is she..."

I step aside to show him there is no Fiona. I hear his sigh of relief. But when he meets my eyes, I see the same worry even as he tries to convince me otherwise.

"Look Mike, this might not be a bad thing. She's not here, maybe she got out, raised hell, kicked some ass, and headed home. She's not going to go down without a fight."

All I can do is head back to Charger, ignoring what little consultation Sam is trying to provide. Finally all the frustration of the day catches up with me, I'm exhausted given up everything I have had worked so hard for over the last few months and now I have no idea how to find Fiona. For the first time that I can remember I am without a plan, and idea, or even a thought of where to start. I am lowest I have ever been in my life without a doubt.

My cell phone rings, breaking the silence, and I don't recognize the number. It's probably them calling for some other mission, jump threw more hoops to get her back.

"What do you want?!" I am tired of being nice, tired of being jerked around, tired of all of this. And they are going to pay the price for this one.

"Michael...." a seriously pissed Fiona on the other end, I've never in my life heard a sweeter sound.

"Fi, you're okay? Where are you?"

"Well I'm alive but other then that, the next time I see Carla she'll be lucky to walk away from the meeting without a bullet flying in her direction someway."

I smile, I have to, thats my Fiona.

"Where are you Fi?

"They drove me out to the woods somewhere, I am at the gas station just north on the road, I can stay on the line to get a trace, or I can ask one of the ever so charming truckers for a ride into town. I'm sure it would make there day."

"No need Fi, I'm in the woods right now, they gave me the coordinates when I gave them the information."

"Information? What information? You didn't..."

"Don't worry about it, where is this gas station, I'll come get you."

"About two miles north, there's a road turn east and its right there."

"Ok, Fi, we're coming"

In no time at all the gas station comes into view and standing right next to the phone booth... is Fiona.

I slide the Charger to a stop and jump out, walking up to her, though I really want to run, the sooner I know for sure she is ok, the better. I'm in front of her in mere moments, and I can tell Carla's men did a number on her, though knowing her I would hate to see what they looked like. She is seriously pissed, but despite the bruises on her face, the dried blood in her hair, and scratches on her face, she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I stand in front of her just a few moments longer then I really should and I have to give in.

Fiona isn't girly in any way shape of form, never has been never will be. But at that moment, despite how pissed I can tell she is, I want to protect her, hold her and do all things to me that I know she will never let me do. I reach out to touch her shoulders at first to make sure she really is in front of me. The touch is electric and it only takes a moment for her exhaustion to catch up with her. She leans into me and I wrap her arms around me. I'm vaugley aware of Sam somewhere in the background but I don't really care at the moment. It seems like an eternity of the two of us just standing there, and I know it won't last. In a few minutes she'll go back to being her tough, wild self, and I'll go back as well, but I've given up the best chance I had at getting my old life back. And I would do it again every time.

Fiona is the one who breaks the comfortable silence. "I need a shower, and a nap.... and then I need to blow something up."

Ahhh. Fiona's back. Poor Carla.

Fi slips out of my arms and heads towards the Charger, and I follow behind.

"Fi, I do have some bad new though.... its about Cambell...."

Fini


End file.
